Hydraulic salt press



Jan. 10, 1933. G, KERSHNER 1,893,996

HYDRAULIC SALT PRESS Filed May 29, 1951 Patented Jan. 10, 1933 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE KER SHNER, OF I-IUTCHINSON, KANSAS, ASSIGNOBTO CAREY SALT COMPANY, OF HUTCHIN'SON, KANSAS, A CORPORATION OF KANSASHYDRAULIC Application filed May 29,

My invention relates to salt presses and particularly to such as useheavy pressure, produced for example by means of hydraulic rams and thelike. It is in the nature of an improvement over my prior invention of ahydraulic salt press patented to me July 10, 1923, No. 1,461,093. Theobject of the invention is to produce a press of the type described insaid patent, that will produce a compressed l0 salt block both ends ofwhich will be of uni.

form density, which has heretofore been impossible to accomplish in saltpresses of ordinary construction.

The ordinary salt press has a mold box or die for holding the salt, thelower end of which is closed by an element having little or no movementin any part which would tend to move the salt in an upward direction;while the compression is produced entirely 2 from above by a die orplunger which enters the mold box either due to impulsion from ahydraulic ram or by being held on a star tionary support while the moldbox is moved upward as in my patent. In order to facilitate removal ofthe compressed salt block, the mold is expanded toward one end, usuallythe bottom end, to form a truncated pyramid. The base of this figure hasheretofore been the base of the mold block, and as in my patentaforesaid, the bottom of the mold has been closed by a disc or plateresting on the head of a hydraulic ram. Pressure then being appliedentirely from beneath, the mold box is moved upward with its bottomclosed by the said plate, the compression plunger enters the upper endof the mold, and live pressure on the salt is exerted entirely fromabove. At the end of the operation, it is found that the salt block isless dense at and near the bottom or expanded portion, where it restedonthe closing plate moving with the block and mold, than at the topwhere it received live pressure from the entering plunger.

Briefly stated I attain my object and avoid the objections stated byusing a floating mold block with two plungers, one entering it fromabove and one entering it from beneath, in such manner and under suchconditions that live pressure is exerted throughout the mold SALT PRESS1931. I Serial No. 541,050.

in both directions, and the salt block is thereby rendered of uniformdensity.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1is a side view with parts in section showing the parts in their initialpositions before compression.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in operative position aftercompression.

Referring to the drawing, 1 is a base plate to which the machine issecured. The upper working portions of the machine are carried on fourvertical tie rods 2 secured to the base at 2a and at their upper endssimilarly secured in a crosshead 10 which carries the upper plunger 11.3 is a central hydraulic cylinder resting on the base and containing aram 4: which is supposed to be fitted and packed in the usual manner topermit pressure to be exerted in chamber 5 whereby to force the ramupward. 6 and 7 are auxiliary hydraulic cylinders containing rams 8 and9 fitted and packed in the same manner and adapted to reciprocate onlines parallel to the path of travel of ram 4. Mounted to slide on thetie rods 2 is a floating mold block 12 carrying within it the mold box13 in which the mold 14 is formed with the upper and lower portions 14aand 1 10 cubical, and its central portion in the form of a truncatedpyramid, both cubical and pyramidal portions having their four outeredges smoothed off to prevent chipping of the block as fully explainedin my said patent. Mounted upon the head of the ram 4 is a block 16provided with shoulders 17 normally lying beneath and away from thelower face of the mold block 12. Projecting centrally from the upperface of the block 16 is a die or plunger 15 which enters the cubicalchamber 140 of the mold 14c and normally, as shown in Fig. 1, projectstherein a sufficient distance to seal the opening and afford a firm basefor the charge of salt. The mold block when at rest is supported on theheads of the auxiliary rams 8 and 9, and all the rams are retracted. Thecentral ram at being shorter than the others permits the shoulders 17 toretract away from the mold block 12 as already stated.

In the drawing herewith, the tie rods 2 are shown broken away in part inorder to expose the working parts to view.

The operation of my improved press is as follows: 1V ith the press inthe position shown in Fig;- 1, a charge of salt is placed in the moldbox 14. Pressure is then applied under the rams 4, 8 and 9 and they moveupwardly together with the parts 15, 16 and 17 until the salt within themold box 14 comes: in contact with the end of the plunger 11 which hasentered the cubical space 14a. During this time, the gap or open spaceis maintained between the shoulders 1'5 and the bottom of the mold block12. At this point compres sion' of the salt between the ends of plungers11 and 15 begins to take place. Flow of pressure under the rams 8 and 9is now stopped, leavin them standing at the positi'on shown. in fi 2".With the mold block I2 no longer beingraised by the rams 8 and 9, saidblock pauses, and the pressure under the ram 4 causes the head 16 to beforced upwardly and the die or plunger 15 to be forced into the lowerend of thecmold 140, further compressing the salt in the same. Thisfurther compression of the salt due to the plunger 15 being forced into140, causes friction to be: created between the salt and the inner wallsof the mold box 14: sufficient to carry said mold 14 and the mold block12' which carries it in an upward direction at approximately the samespeed as that at which the plunger 15 is entering the bottom. Thus thepress is so timed in its operation that the end of the plunger 15'reaches the point 26) at the same time that the plunger 11 reaches thepoint 21. Thus. from the time that pressure is first applied to the saltuntil the block is iinished, both ends of the block are under livepressure, and both ends of the block are constantly being pressedfurther into the mold box; while on account of this live press on eachend of the block throughout the entire pressing period both ends arecompressed under the same conditions and the block is therelore ofuniform density throughout.

After the salt block is finished rams 8 and 9 are again subjected topressure, and are brought up against the block 12. hile in this positionpressing upward against the block, pressure is released under the ram 4,and it begins to recede. lVith the pressure released under ram 4: andstill being applied under rams 8 and 9, sufiicient pressure is broughtto bear on the block at point 21 to cause it to be pushed out of themold 14 so that it comes out of the press resting on the end of theplunger 15. It should be observed that the different movements thusdescribed in the ejection of the block are so closely related andconnected that at no time is the block subjected to the slightest drop,which might tend to injure it. For further detailed description of thisoperation of ejection reference may be had to page 3, lines 20 et seq.of my Patent No. 1,461,093.

In describing the upper and lower portions of the mold box 14a and 140,I have used the expression cubical, for simplieitys sake. It will beunderstood that in practice these would not be strictly cubical, butwould be four-sided prisms with the intersecting edges smoothed oil asillustrated and described in my said patent. The lower unit 140 would beof greater diameter than the upper one 14a and somewhat less in length.These details however may be varied as may any of the nonessentialfeatures of the press, without departing from my invention, theessential feature of which consists in proportioning and arranging theparts sothat the salt block will besubjected to live pressure in bothdirections and will thereby be rendered of uniform density.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. A hydraulic press for forming salt blocks having relatively movablemembers combining to bound a forming space sub ject to reduction incapacity to compress a contained substance, and represented respectivelyby a lateral restraining wall and terminally opposed elements, one ofwhich elements normally lies in said space and the other is adapted toprogress into said space bounded laterally by the wall member, means forcausing the second element to enter said space and thereafter forcausing both said elements to approach each other so as to exertlivepressure on the substance under compression in both directions todefine a: predetermined limit of compression, and means becomingoperative at the limit of compression to withdraw said elements only andto withdraw the compressed substance therei M with.

2. A compressing mechanism having two vertical male dies, one fixed andone movable and a cooperating vertical female die member of which thefemale die member and one male member are upwardly movable to cause thesecond male member to enter the female memher and assume propercompression relation with the'first male member, and actuating devicesfor the female member having means for effecting mutual approach of themale members therein to compression, and thereafter continued movementupward of the female member to cause downward pressure from the firstmale member on the block under compression and at the same time to liftthe female member away from the second male member, and thereby forceout the compressed block.

3. A compressing mechanism comprising a floating mold block, a moldtherein, a fixed die or plunger normally lying away from the mold block,a movable die or plunger normally engaging one end of the mold to closethe same, means to move said mold block and said second die or plungerrelatively to the first die or plunger to cause the latter to enter themold, means then becoming operative to retard the movement of the moldblock, said second die or plunger continuing its movement whereby thedies or plungers approach each other in the mold efiecting compressiontherein, and means thereafter becoming operative to continue the movement of the mold block, so as to cause it to leave the second die orplunger, and means acting simultaneously to stop the movement of thesecond die or plunger, whereby said block will leave said mold while themold continues to advance with respect to the first or fixed die orplunger.

1:. A hydraulic press for compressing material such as salt comprisingthe following instrumentalities: a pair of vertical coaxial dies one ofwhich is fixed and the other movable, a hydraulic rain connected withthe movable die, a floating mold block between said dies, andsupplemental hydraulic means for actuating said mold block, the partsbeing so proportioned and arranged that when the rams are fullyretracted the upper end of the movable die closes the lower end of themold to receive a charge, when the rams are simultaneously energized themold block with the mold thus sealed is moved upward to receive the endof the fixed die, after which continued movement of the first ram andthe movable die is caused to raise the mold block and the charge in themold so as to produce live pressure thereon from both dies, and finallythe movable die is retracted to remove the compressed charge from themold.

5. A hydraulic press for compressing material such as salt comprisingthe following instrumentalities: a pair of vertical coaxial dies one ofwhich is fixed and the other movable, a hydraulic ram connected with themovable die, a floating mold block between said dies, and supplementalhydraulic means for actuating said mold block, the parts being soproportioned and arranged that when the rams are fully retracted theupper end of the movable die closes the lower end of the mold to receivea charge, when the rams are simultaneously energized the mold block withthe mold thus sealed is moved upward to receive the end of the fixeddie, after which continued movement of the first ram and the movable dieis caused to raise the mold block and the charge in the mold so as toproduce live pressure thereon from both dies, and finally actuation ofthe second hydraulic means acting on the mold block and retraction ofthe first ram are caused to force the mold farther up on the fixed diewhile the movable die is withdrawn from the lower end of said mold andthe compressed charge follows said movable die under pressure from thefixed die.

6. A hydraulic press for compressing material such as salt, comprisingthe following instrumentalities: a floating mold block containing a moldopen top and bottom, a fixed die and a movable die and hydraulic meanssupporting the movable die and the mold block respectively with means tooperate said hydraulic means simultaneously and alternately so as tofirst adjust both dies in the mold, second, compress the charge underlive pressure from both dies, and third, withdraw the lower die byraising the mold block with respect to the upper or fixed die.

7. A hydraulic press for compressing material such as salt, comprisingthe following instrumentalities: a base plate, vertical tie rods securedto said base plate, a crosshead connecting said rods, a floating moldblock mounted to slide on the tie rods and carrying within it a verticalmold box, a fixed die secured to said crosshead and adapted to extenddown into the mold when the mold block is raised, hydraulic rams mountedon said base plate, a movable die supported on one of said rams andadapted to be forced thereby upwardly into the mold and other of saidrams supporting and adapted to raise and lower the mold block as awhole, together with means to energize said rams first simultaneouslyand then alternately as described.

8. A hydraulic press for compressing material such as salt, comprisingthe following instrumentalities: a base plate, a frame, fixed andmovable dies, a floating mold block between said dies movable on theframe, and hydraulic means engaging said movable die and said mold blockrespectively, with means to energize the same as described.

9. A hydraulic press for compressing material such as salt, comprisingthe following instrumentalities: a floating mold block movablevertically. fixed and movable dies above and below said mold blockrespectively, and hydraulic means for operating said movable die andsaid mold block together and separately.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

GEORGE KER SHNER.

